Field

Research Interests

Professor Gómez-Quiñones specializes in the fields of political, labor, intellectual, and cultural history. From 1969 to the present he has taught university classes each year and has delivered papers before professional historical societies and other professional venues in the United States and Mexico. During this time, he has completed several research projects, relating to political/labor history and public policy. Among his over 30 published writings are the books or monographs: Mexican American Labor.•.. 1790-1990; The Roots of Chicano Politics: 1600-1940; Chicano Politics 1940-1990; Porfirio Diaz-Los Intellectuals; Sembradores: Ricardo Flores Magón and the PLM; Mexican Students for La Raza, and the articles "On Culture," "Caso and the Idea of Progress," "Toward a Perspective on Chicano History," "Chicano Labor Conflict and Organizing, 1900-1920," "Mexican Immigration to the United States," "Critique on the National Question," "The Relations Between the Mexican Community in the United States and Mexico," and "Questions Within Women's Historiography," and the recent "What Comes Around Goes Around," "Outside/Inside, Popular Culture in the Making," "The Border as Image (Sp.);" "A Triangular Paradigm on Hybridities"; "Latino-Latino Americans (co-author)"; "A.Caso Las ironias de un modernista;" "Tlecuauhila zupeuth/Guadalupe/Tonantzin"; "2X2=4, 2 Essays on Indigeneity and Indigenitude"; and "Sin Frontera, Sin Cuartel (PLM, 1900-1930)." He is completing a study on historical arts and culture, "Times and Seasons," and a collection of essays on ethics and literary and ideological actors, "North and South." His current major book project (co-author) is on the CCM mobilizations of the 60s and 70s decades, Aztlan Making and an autobiography.

Since 1969, Professor Gómez-Quiñones has been active in higher education, culture activities promotion and Chicano Studies efforts. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship and pursued his research at the University of Texas during 1972-1973 working with Professor Américo Paredes. He trained in social analysis at the Newberry Library Community History Program, Chicago, 1975. Presently, he is Professor of History, UCLA. At one time he served as Director of the Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA. Professor Gómez-Quiñones was a founding co-editor of Aztlan, International Journal of Chicano Studies Research. He has also served on UC system and campus committees and is a consistent supporter and contributor to the development of Chicano Studies, including co-founder of two programs and co-editor of the Plan de Santa Barbara. He has served on advisory committees, for The College Board/ETS, and FIPSE, and served as panelist or reviewer for the NEH & NEA, and national foundations. He is a published poet, 5th and Grande Vista, and several critics have written on his work.

Professor Gómez-Quiñones has for many years been active in civic affairs. Apart from his academic interest, he is recognized as an able community organizer and planner. Some of his activities have been civil rights, electoral politics, community education, labor rights, immigrant equities advocacy, legal defense, youth leadership, and cultural programs. He participated in UMAS-MECHA, The Congress of Mexican-American Unity, EICC, The Urban Coalition, and various community political efforts and publications efforts principally in Los Angeles. From the eighties to nineties he participated as co-organizer of pro-immigrant rights efforts and marches including the 1996 Washington D.C. National Immigrant Rights march for which he wrote the agenda. Professor Gomez-Quinones has served as Member Board of Trustees, California State University and Colleges, commissioner, WASC Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities and as member of the board of directors of the following civic organizations: MALDEF, The Latino Museum (co-founder), The Mexican Cultural Institute (co-founder), OSIEC (1986-1996), and the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Commission (initial Bd).
He has also participated in several arts, film, and media projects, and in radio and television programs. He is a co-founder of Academia Semillas del Pueblo XINAXCALMECAC (LAUSD Charrter School).

Professor Gómez-Quiñones, born in Parral, Chihuahua, raised in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, attended Cantwell M.H. school, studied at UCLA, received his B.A. in literature (with J. Espey and H. Meyerhoff), his M.A. in Latin-American Studies (with R. Beals and H. Nicholson) and the Ph.D. in History at UCLA (with R. Burr & J. Wilkie). His dissertation is titled, "Social Change and Intellectual Discontent: 1890-1911." As graduate, in 1965, Professor Gómez-Quiñones was editor of the Statistical Abstract of Latin America, 1964 and a teaching fellow at the UCLA history department, in 1965-1966. During 1966-1968, he was a Foreign Area Fellow sponsored by the Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned Societies, resident in Mexico City and Santa Monica. He has resided in Los Angeles, Mexico City, San Diego, Austin, Chicago and Albuquerque. In 1990 Professor Gómez-Quiñones received the Scholar of the Year Award from the National Association of Chicano Studies at Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2003 he received the Ann C. Rosenfield Distinguished Community Partnership Prize.

Alongside our existing 12 sub-fields, the History Department supports a number of cross-field clusters. The clusters are intended to attract students and faculty to important themes and current in the historical discipline. The clusters will offer new courses, sponsor outside speakers, and convene Department-based workshops and seminars.